GidyupGo

I wouldn't think so. Another factor that effects your oil is the short trips. If the oil doesn't get a chance to come up to temp, moisture will build up and sludge may be the end result. I believe that short trips is the one of the worst things that can happen to an engine. Used cars are sometimes advertised as high mileage, but also as mostly highway miles. I'd rather take a chance on one of those than a stop and go city driving ride.

RED121572

Personally, mileage doesnt mean anything to me. Once every so often, I check the color of the oil on the dip stick. When the oil starts toturn dark, thats when I change it.

GidyupGo

Do what you want. but color isn't a real good indicator of condition. An oil analisis is the only true way to go, but if you don't go that route, 5K miles is the limit for me. I had an oil analisis done on a car once and it gave me a ballpark figure that I used on oil life. Only needs to be done once for an idea of what is going on in your engine. Wear metals, if air isleaking past your air filter, etc.

Gene K

If its 5W-20 its almost guaranteed to be at least a GII/GIII Synthetic Blend no matter how the manufacturer chooses to market it.Very difficult tomeet the API requirements for SM/GF-4 in that grade without it. It might pe possible to just barely make it with all GII+ and a more expensive add pack but it would be more expensive to manufature than the Blend. Thats the advantage to 5W-20 over 5W-30. Better basestock and less shearing.

BTW in case most of you dont know the difference in viscosity between 5W-20 and 5W-30 can be very small. For instance Castrol Syntec is 9.1cSt vs 9.7 cSt at 100C.

I have very rarely seen an analysis in which MotorCraft 5W-20 was used up in less than5000 mi in a Street Engine. Thats the reason Ford is increasing the standard drain interval to 7500 mi this year. A quality name brand synthetic should easily go 7500 mi or 1 year in non-racing use. Some lowcost synthetics such as SuperTechdont use the higher quality add packs of the name brands so really need to be changed at around the same mileage as a conventional.

GidyupGo

For the record, just to show you how **** I am, I just changed the oil in the GT for the 2nd time at 2844 miles. So.................break in oil, oil change at 500 miles, and now at 2844. I am done getting all the break in trash out and will now follow the 5000 mile oil change interval.

s197richie

I'm doing 3 months or 3K miles (what the hell's a km? JK), whichever comes first. As I mentioned above, cheap insurance...

also thought I'd mention this: make sure your car is warmed up when you change your oil to get all the old junk out. I get mine PIPING hot at the risk of burning myself. This is another reason to do it your self...if you take it to a shop it's probably gonna sit because they're usually swamped, and if you try to tell them to let it warm up first, they probably won't because to them time is money and also they don't care...as aforementioned, no one cares about your car as much as you do...

ctrcbob

Want something else to worry about? OK. Here goes.

When is a "Synthetic" not a "Synthetic"?

Answer! When it is a Group III Synthetic. Group III Synthetics are only sold in the Americas as Synthetics (made from Petro Oil and Hydrocracked). They are not allowed to be sold in Europe as Synthetic.
A good Group IV (PAO) or Group V (Ester, DiEster, Polyolester) Synthetic is a real synthetic.
Learn more in www.bobistheoilguy.com then click on forums.

The only G-IV and G-V synthetics that I know of are AmsOil (G-IV) (but NOT the AmsOil 7500 which is their G-III) and RedLine (G-V). Mobil-1 has refused to state if they have reverted to the
G-III in any of their oils. At one time, they were
G-IV. Pennsoil Platinum switched back from
G-IV to G-III back in early 2005. (At least Pennsoil will tell you). All Castrol Syntec's are G-III except their 0w-30 which is no longer available, sold only in Auto Zone, and "Made in Germany" printed on the back of the bottle.

Next question. Are European oils better than American/Canadian Oils? You bet they are.
European car standards are tougher than American car standards. VW, Mercedes, BMW,
Renault, Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat, Lancia, Alfa, etc. all have tougher oil standards than us. Case in point. I travel to France every so often. When there, I always lease (lease not rent) a Renault Laguna. (Great car). The owners manual states,
(In French which I can read), "The oil must be changed every 30,000km". OK, check out your handy-dandy calculator and 30,000km comes out to every 18,750 miles.

For regular non full synthetic oil changes in your Ford Vehicle, you can't do better than Motorcraft Blend. One of the best Non Full Synthetics.

Lastly, when you see the word "blend", do not be mistaken into thinking that it is 50/50. Its not.
Its more like 2 to 5% "synthetic" and the rest is a Group II petro oil. If you want a true 50/50 blend, go and buy three quarts of quality G-II oil and three quarts of Full Synthetic G-IV oil and pour them into your sump. Only then will you have a 50/50 mix. (I've done this in the past)

In my MKZ, with Lincolns complimentary two oil changes, I'm using the Motorcraft Blend
5W-20 FROM BOTTLES. No bulk!.
In my Continental, I'm using Castrol Syntec
0W-30 "Made in Germany" (but when I run out, because it is no longer imported, I will switch to Pennsoil Platinum 5W-20 in both cars - perhaps even AmsOil) I'm changing oil every 8 to 10000 miles in my Continentals. While my MKZ is in warranty, I will change it every 7000 (or 7500) miles, what the owners manual states.

MobyDickDog

I just read through all 27 posts on this thread and not a mention of the most important part of this oil change thingy.

The OIL FILTER.

I wouldn't go 5000, or 7500 or 10000 mile without at least changing the filter. The oil will outlast the filter.

s197richie

+1 also obviously don't use an el cheapo, for example I use the Mobil One filter...

thedrod

I change mine every 4k with mobil 1 synthetic 5w-20 and I use the K&N oil filters because they have the nut on the end to make it easy to get off.